Monday, November 2, 2015

A Tiny Town of "Hill Billies"!!

Hey mama and everyone!

What's up! So I am going to tell you this story, imagine a town about half the size of Panguitch and it probably started with 2 people. Now I want you to think of a hillbilly family! and now I want you to imagine a town full of hillbillies, and then you'll have the little town of Carhuamayo! haha This is the worst town in history! I am pretty sure this is a make you or break you kind of town. I seriously do not have a clue why this is an area. It's really hard! Yesterday we had church and there were 8 people there other than us, and they all wanted to leave after Sacrament Meeting. The Bishop was late to Sacrament Meeting, and sometimes he doesn't show up because he just doesn't feel like going to church that day. haha!! Yeah I have no clue why he is still the bishop. He is technichally an inactive member!! We had to force him to stay for the whole block time basically! It's crazy!

My spanish is coming along a lot better than I thought it would be by now. I have been reading the scriptures a lot, it is really hard because some days it takes me like an hour to get through a chapter in Spanish, but I am starting to be able to read a lot better in Spanish. It's coming!! I really wish that the Tower of Babel had never happened!!! That would make things a lot more fun haha.

So it has rained about every night in the past week and it is super miserable. I have worn my boots, the Ecco ones, the whole time I have been here. I love them. Last p-day we went to the gym and worked out for like 2 hours, it felt so good, and guess how much I weigh... well I have lost 15 pounds since I've been in Peru, which is only 2 months, and that was a week ago! I am pretty sure I'm in the 170s now!

My Pensionista is the worst at cooking rice haha! She seems to burn the rice about every time and it tastes horrible! Her name is Mama Betty and really she is the nicest lady. I really like her! She and her family are the richest people in Carhuamayo and the nicest.(A Pensionista is a woman who cooks for the Elders and does their laundry. They do not go to members homes for meals. I'm guessing because people are poor and can't afford to feed the missionaries, and it may be because of cleanliness issues too. Pensionistas are trained to cook for the Elders and Sisters. The missionaries give her money each week for food and she cooks for them. She also does their laundry for them. They are wonderful women who "take care" of the missionaries! They love them like their own sons and daughters, we still keep in touch with one of Nick's Pensionistas).

We were walking down this street last week and it was getting late and I felt a real urge to go and talk to this guy that was in the shoe shop, but I didn't speak up because we were late for an appointment. For some reason here if you make an appointment with someone they will leave before you get there and try to not let you come in. So our appointment failed so we went back to the shoe shop and this guy was just crying and telling us on how he has tried every church but ours and how he didn't believe any of them. So he could be a golden investigator!!

There is a dope kid here and his name is Kevin and he is 17. We are trying to persuade him to serve a mission and I think that it is kinda working! We have had like 3 lessons with him this week. It would be the best if he decided to go!

So on Thursday I was so sick, like a food poisoning type of thing and I literally thought I was going to die. Everyone thinks that it would be cool to be sick in the mission and get a day off! haha no! It was the longest day I have had in my life haha. Like seriously that day felt like a whole week!

My comp he is pretty dope! He apologizes for everything for some reason, even things that are good things he says sorry! I kind of want to punch him, but I won't because he is in the Marines and he could kill me haha! He's from Pleasant Grove and his name is Elder Bullock (did I tell you that last week ). He says he lives in Pleasant Grove, but for some reason he doesn't know where Sandy and Draper are, or Riverton or even like Orem!!! So that's kind of funny, he's got to be joking! but he's great and a nice guy. We're doing good together!

Last p-day, me, Elder Bullock and the zone leaders made pancakes and lamb burgers or Alpaca burgers they were good!! We played soccer at 15,000 feet above sea level at the highest church in the world!! And .... that was my week!!

love you all and be safe!

Love, Elder Christensen

No pictures this week.... Luke said they couldn't email from their usual place and the internet was very slow wherever they were emailing from so he couldn't get his pictures to download .... hopefully next week!